In the shadow of the ceasefire, many Palestinians want to return to their homes. But how long they can stay there is unclear. Israel warns against a return to the north.
Khalil Abu Omar packs his things: bags, blankets, the children’s backpacks. In recent days, he and his family have been living next to a UN refugee agency school. Now they want to go home.
“We want to go back there, look at the house, take photos, see what we can do,” says the father of the family. “You can’t stay in the house, but we want to get a few things so we can at least eat something clean.”
Army: “The area in the north is a war zone”
The streets in Khan Yunis in the south of the Gaza Strip are full. Blankets are piled up on the roof of a red Golf. Donkey carts, bicycles and motorbikes roll by. Many people walk. They are packed with bags and bags. They want to return home – to the north of the Gaza Strip.
This is exactly what the Israeli army wants to prevent. In the morning she dropped leaflets over the Gaza Strip. Army spokesman Avichay Adraee appealed to the refugees in a video in Arabic. “The war is not over, the humanitarian ceasefire is temporary and the area in the north is a dangerous war zone. It is forbidden to stay there.”
Up to 75,000 buildings damaged
Images from the north of the Gaza Strip show a landscape of rubble. According to an analysis of satellite images, experts estimate that up to 75,000 buildings were damaged as a result of the fighting. People have lost their homes and their jobs. And yet many still want to return to their homeland.
The video published by a Palestinian news agency this morning shows how dangerous this is. A man lies on the floor of a hospital. His right leg is tied off and blood is coming from a wound in his foot. He says he was on his way home when the shots were fired. He doesn’t say who shot.
Israel does not want to reduce troops
The Israeli army announced that it would stop all attacks. Images from southern Israel show dozens of armored vehicles leaving the Gaza Strip behind them. An Israeli flag flies in the air on an antenna. The army wants to use the ceasefire to exchange soldiers and deliver weapons. Apparently the troops should not be reduced.
Until recently, the army had attacked Hamas targets in the north of the Gaza Strip. According to the UN refugee agency for the Palestinians, the Indonesian hospital was also hit there. According to its own statements, the army blew up some tunnels under the Al-Shifa hospital.
Hope for one armistice
Khalil Abu Omar has arrived home in Bani Suhaila, which is east of Khan Yunis. He lives here with his wife, five sons and five daughters. There is a plastic table on the floor. Chunks of wall littered the carpet. The sky can be seen through a hole in the roof. But at least the family is back home.
“If God has mercy, there will be a ceasefire and a ceasefire,” says Omar. He will try to fix what he can fix. “Even if my children and I have to stay in the same room.” Omar would like to stay here, just because of the bathroom. But he doesn’t know how long he can stay in his home. The ceasefire negotiated between Hamas and Israel is initially expected to last four days. For Omar and his family, this is just a short respite.
Björn Dake, ARD Tel Aviv, tagesschau, November 24th, 2023 12:55 p.m